"It sends a message of not being afraid, but it also sends a message of wanting to be close to people," Palmo tells Weekend Edition host Rachel Martin.

The papal visit, which begins in Rio de Janeiro, comes barely a month after massive street protests in Brazil were staged to protest corruption, government largess, poor education and substandard medical care in the country.

The New York Times quotes Fernando Altemeyer Jr., a theologian and philosopher at the Pontifical Catholic University in São Paulo, as saying it's a "crucial moment for the church, the nation, society and the people."

"Brazil has changed and things are bubbling, but there is no clarity. Everything is new and unknown, in the country and the church, even for the bishops," Altemeyer says.

Blogger Palmo says Francis is deeply aware of the situation in Brazil.

"But at the same time, I don't think he's going to wade into [the politics] outside of just general principles," he says. "The Church speaks about the principles, the morals, but the practicals are for the politicians to decide."